Surveyor&#39;s rod



R. A. WRIGHT July 27, 1937.

SURVEYOR S R OD Original Filed July 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. A. WRIGHT SURVEYORS ROD July 27, 1937.

Original Filed July 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (It omega Patented July 27, 1937 I PATENT OFFEC E SURVEYORS ROD Robert A. Wright, Rome, Ga.

Application July 28, 1936, Serial No. 93,053

Renewed June 8,.1937 I 4 Claims.

This invention relates to surveyors instruments and apparatus, and more particularly to a combined line and level rod.

An object of this invention is to provide a rod for use by surveyors or the like which is of the extensible and collapsible type, being formed of a plurality of telescoping sections which in their extended position may be firmly locked against movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rod of this type wherein certain calibrations are joined together to facilitate the computations and the sight thereof through the transit, the calibrations in each foot section being desig- 7 nated by numerals indicative of the foot section in which such calibrations occur.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rod of this type which is so constructed that any wear between the several parts thereof may be readily taken up and the rod thus brought back to its original and accurate condition.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a rod of this type wherein the user thereof can readily determine, when the rod is in its extended position, whether any wear has taken place which affects the accuracy thereof. 7

A further object of'this invention is to provide a combined level rod and a line rod into one compact unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the sev- 1-! of Fig. 4.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the rod with the sections in partly extended position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through substantially the center of the,

rod.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side ele vation of the rod showing the locking means fo the rod sections in released position.

6-.6 of Fig. 5.

Figure '7 is a sectional View taken on the line Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of the rod sections showing in slightly exaggerated form the taper between the rod sections.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals It! and H designate generally a pair of tubular rod sections which telescope each other, with the upper section ii slidable into the lower section it. These rod sections it) and H are preferably tapered slightly so that when they are in their extended position there will be a jam fit therebetween and in this manner the upper section I i when in its extended position will at all times aline with the lower section It.

In the present instance the rod comprising the two sections I3 and H has been formed of only two sections, but it Will, of course, be understood that this rod may be formed of as many interfitting sections as may be desired in order to obtain the desired length of rod when extended, and in order to permit the collapsing of the rod to the desired length to facilitate carrying thereof.

As shown in Figs. ,6 and '7, the rod sections I0 and H are formed triangular in transverse section, and the adjacent side walls #2 and Id of the upper rod section II have their convergent I 6 The front wall I8 of the lower rod section Ii] is joined to the divergent edges of the side walls I5 and It by means of parallel and longitudinally extended beads I9 and 28 which constitute guide members, and preferably the frontwall i8 is inset as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The front wall 2! of the upper section II is joined to the divergent front edges of the side walls l2 and I4 by means of beads 22 and 23, respectively, which slidably engage Within the inside of the guide members I!) and 283, respectively. As with the lower rod section Ill, the front wall 2| thereof is inset and preferably this wall?! has the outer face thereof spaced inwardly from the inner face of the front wall I8 so that movement of the rod sections it and I I will not efface the graduations mounted on the front faces thereof.

The wall It of the upper rod section II is provided with an aperture 24 adjacent the lower end thereof, and a locking pin 25 carried by a yieldable bar 26 is secured to the side wall I6 of the V Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line tion It! into the opening 24 so as to hold the I two sections l0 and II in their extended posi- I lines 4|.

tion. The upper rod member II may also be provided with a second opening 28 adjacent the upper. end thereof in which the pin is adapted to engage so as to hold the rod sections in collapsed position. The yieldable bar or strap 25 is secured to the side wall I6 by means of a screw or rivet 29, and the end of the bar 26 opposite from the attaching means 29 is preferably bent outwardly as at 353' so as to provide a finger hold to facilitate the movement of the pin 25 to released position.

The lower rod section I9 has a case hardened,

butt plate 3| secured to the lower end thereof, the plate 3| having an extension 32 engaging within the lower end of the rod section ill and being secured by means of a screw 33 or the like so that when desired or necessary thisplate 3| may readily be replaced.

The upper rod section ii is provided with a point 35 having an extension 35 engaging within the upper end of the rod section I I, and a screw 3.? detachably holds the point 35 on the upper section II. The apex of this point 35 is in aline men-t with the center of the rod section II, the point 35 being constructed of semi-pyramidal configuration with one side 34 thereof disposed in alinement with the outer surface of the front wall of the-upper section I I.

The front faces of the front walls l8 and 2| of the rod sections l8 and II, are similar, with the graduation and numerals on the upper wall 2! being a continuation of the graduations and numerals on the lower wall I8. The wall I8 is provided on the front face thereofwith a plurality of parallel graduated lines 38 which designate the uneven fractions of av foot, and there are also provided a plurality of parallel graduated lines 39 which designate the even fractions of a foot. In the present instance these'gradu ations 38 and 39 designate one-hundredths of a foot, and these graduations 38 and 39 are connected together in pairs by means of angularly disposed lines 49. A line 4| which is parallel with the lines 38 and 39 indicates each five-hundredth graduation, and this line 4| is connected to an adjacent graduation 39 by means of an angularly disposed line 42 which is inclined oppositely from the connecting line 49. This graduation 4| is preferably slightly longer than the graduations 38 and 39 so that they-will stand outfrom the graduations 38' and 39.

Unit indicating lines 43 are parallel with the lines 38, 39 and 4|, and are longer than the These unit indicating lines 43 are connected to the preceding graduation 44 by angular lines 45, the graduation 44 being in each instance an uneven graduation, such as nine-hundredths or the like.

Each foot is indicated by means of a line 46 which extends inwardly from the edge of the wall I8 opposite from the graduations 38, 39, 4|, 43 and 44, and a parallel line 41 is disposed below the line 48 and indicates the nearest one-hundredth to the line 46. The lines and 41 are connected together by a line 48 which is inclined inwardly and upwardly in opposed relation to the adjacent inclined line 45. Numerals 49 designate each foot, and the fractions of each foot aredesignated by numerals 50, which in the present instance designate the tenths of a foot, and the numbers 5|) run from one to nine. The numerals 59' are smaller in size than the foot designating numerals 49,and are slightly out of vertical line from the numerals 49, and these numerals is-and 56 may be colored with contra- The, numeral 49 at the upper end of the lower rod section It has one-half thereof mounted on the lower section Ii), and the other half of this numeral 49 is carried by the front wall 2| of the upper section II, and the lines 43 and 46 are coincident with the top of the lower section it]. Throughout the several rod sections, the

foot designating numerals 49 are bisected by the plane defined by the alined lines 43 and 46. In the event there is any wear between the rod sections iii and II, this wear can readily be detected by determining whether the top of the rod section i5 alines with the lowermost foot-indicating lines 53-48. Where such wear occurs, the wear may be taken up by substituting another locking pin 25, or if desired the yieldable bar 26 may be longitudinally adjustable with respect to the rod section I9 and the hole 27 made large enough to permit enough adjustment of the bar 26 and the pin 25 to correct the error caused by wear of the several parts.

Preferably the outer surface of the rod sections iii and II is suitably colored in either a solid color or a number of contradistinguishing colors, and the various numerals 49 and 5| will be of one color, with the numerals 5|! of contradistinguishing colors. Likewise the graduations defined by the lines 38, 39, 4!, 43, 44, 46 and 41 may be colored in a distinguishing color with the differentgraduations having contra-distinguishing colors. The lines forming the graduations may be etched into the rod sections, stamped or otherwise formed so that sliding contact of the confronting facesof the walls I8 and 2| will not injure the graduations. Inlike manner, the numerals 49, 50, and 5| may be etched, stamped or otherwise formed on the outer surfaces of the falls I8 and 2|. The front faces of the rod sections I0 and II are preferably pro- Vided with two contradistinguishing colors with the dividing line or plumb line 52 between the colors disposed in the exact center of the rod and in alinement with the apex of the point 35 so that the surveyor in viewing the rod through .the transitwill have a definite center line from which to work, and so that the rod-man may be able to readily plumb the line upon'proper signal from the surveyor.

In the use of this rod, the, sections Ill and II will be held in extended position by means of the locking pin 25 engaging in the lowermost hole 24 of the rod section II. It will, of course, be understood that a number of these holes 24 may be provided in the rod. section II so that if desired the rod may be disposed in only partly extended position if desired. The tapered formation of the upper end of the lower section I0 and the lower end of the upper section I I will prevent pulling of'the sections apart, and will alsov hold the sections in correct alinement. The rod is collapsed by merely pulling the finger-piece 30 outwardly and then telescoping'therow sectiona to the point where the locking pin engages in the hole 28.

The figures 50 denoting the tenths of a foot are preferably six one hundredths of a foot in height and so positioned as to extend three one hundredths of a foot above and below the graduation 43. The figures 49 denoting the main foot sections are preferably one tenth of a foot in heighth and are so positioned as to extend equal distances above and below the foot graduations 46. The small feat numerals 5| denoting the foot sections in which the tenth graduations 50 appear are preferably approximately three sixteenths of an inch in heighth and are so positioned between and to the right of the numerals 5i] denoting the tenths of a footthat they will not interfere with either the calibrations or the other numerals on the rod.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the. following claims:-

What is claimed is:

1. A surveyors rod comprising a plurality of tubular telescoping rod sections of polygonal form in cross section, the telescoping ends of the sections being tapered in a manner to hold the sections against separation when in extended position while simultaneously maintaining the sections in axial alinement, and graduations carried by the outer surface of each rod section.

2. A surveyors rod comprising a plurality of telescoping rod sections of polygonal form in cross section, a point carried by an end of one rod section, graduations on each rod section, contradistinguishing colors on that portion of the rod sections carrying the graduations providing a dividing line between the colors which is disposed in alinement with the apex of said point whereby to facilitate the plumb positioning of the rod, and the telescoping ends of said sections being tapered in a manner to hold the sections against separation when in extended position while simultaneously maintaining the sections in axial alinement to keep said dividing line in true position.

3. A surveyors rod having a plurality of telescoping sections tapered so as to hold the sections y when in extended position, interfitting means on said sections running longitudinally thereof to space a wall of an inner section from the corresponding wall of an outer section and to maintain the sections against relative rotation, said spaced walls carrying on their outer faces graduated scale of height.

4. A combined line and level rod, comprising a plurality of tubular telescoping rod sections tapered so as to hold the sections when in extended position and to maintain the same in axial alinement, a line point carried by an end of one of the sections, graduations carried by each sec tion, interfitting means on said sections running longitudinally thereof to space a wall of an inner section from a corresponding wall of an. outer section and to maintain the sections against relative rotation, and locking means for holding the sections in extended position.

ROBERT A. WRIGHT. 

